Post-Arkansas Recruiting Thoughts

Just running off at the keyboard for a bit in the aftermath of Florida's 30-10 victory against the Razorbacks on Saturday, moving the Gators to 4-1 on the season (3-0 in the SEC).

First, the good news:

– The top offensive line target on the board for Florda, David Sharpe, finally showed up for a game in the Swamp this fall. It appears he enjoyed himself as well.

Enjoyed the Florida Game alot
— David Sharpe (@SHARPECITYY) October 6, 2013

In any case, the Gators appear to have done what they needed to do with this unofficial visit: "stop the bleeding," so to speak. The momentum has been quickly moving away from UF in recent weeks and more towards Clemson and Georgia. Now, it appears Florida has put themselves firmly back in the mix. But where things go with Sharpe from here is anyone's guess. Is this the weekend where Florida starts to turn the tide back in their favor? Or is this just a slight detour in the road towards Sharpe ending up at Georgia (or somewhere else)? Only time will tell.

Again, the Gators need at least one more body up front on offense in this class. At this point, they obviously can't put all their eggs in Sharpe's basket if they want to achieve the numbers they are looking for on the O-Line. But he is a critical prospect in Florida's recruiting efforts down the stretch. That much is clear. Unless a Damian Prince (or like-minded prospect) emerges as a serious target, of course. But for now, we'll consider Sharpe to be the only big-time OL prospect for whom the Gators are currently a serious option for.

– After extending an offer to Tennessee wide receiver commitment Eric Lauderdale last week, the talented JUCO prospect has already backed off of his pledge to the Vols on Sunday night:

After going over a few things, I feel like the best decision for me & my family is to back away from my commitment to Tennessee...
— Eric Lauderdale (@e_lauderdale) October 7, 2013

Considering Lauderdale has already publicly discussed making a visit to UF in the wake of the offer from Florida assistant coach Joker Phillips, this has to be considered a pretty good development for the Gators. It seems safe to say that Florida is trending up here.

Now, the bad news:

– This shouldn't come as a huge surprise. There was the news from late last week that Dalvin Cook is going to take an official visit to Arkansas. Now, Florida's other five-star skill commitment is in the process of setting up a couple of trips as well:

#Gators WR commit Ermon Lane plans to officially visit #FSU & # Alabama. Says commitment at 95%. See #FSU as the #Gators competition only.
— Gerry Hamilton (@HamiltonESPN) October 6, 2013

Whereas Cook has visited Texas, USC and now Arkansas – teams not generally thought to be any real threats at making a run for his signature – Ermon Lane plans to visit Alabama and Florida State. Those two programs obviously have a better chance at swaying Lane off of his pledge to UF. What the Crimson Tide have done over the past five years speaks for itself. And the early-season play of Jameis Winston is obviously catching the eye of some recruits (especially ones who play offense) as well.

This is definitely something worth watching down the stretch. With the need for skill players in this class (no less than eight prospects between RB, WR and DB ... and very likely more), the Gators have to be careful to make sure they hit their marks on the recruiting trail. With J.C. Jackson also apparently being a bit shaky in his commitment these days, Will Muschamp might have to take a step back and re-evaluate where some things are in regards to the Class of 2014 and the skill positions on both offense and defense.

On to some other items:

– It's kind of interesting to note how Florida's offense has played this year, and how that could (positively) effect recruiting. Despite all the hemming and hawing from the UF fanbase, this unit is on par to put together their best showing since 2009. Surprisingly, the running game has not been what is was last season. Despite a backfield stocked with talent (on paper), the results really haven't been there through four games – and that should be appealing to a talent like Dalvin Cook – who could come to Gainesville and step into a prominent role immediately.

As for the passing game, suddenly things have opened up with Tyler Murphy running the show. The Gators are throwing it around a bit more, and the three upperclassmen (Burton, Dunbar and Patton) have all made huge jumps under Joker Phillips. Phillips can also point to his immediate success working with the UF receivers as Florida attempts to hold on to Ermon Lane and reel in a couple of other top-notch prospects as well.

– Florida has now offered a JUCO receiver (the aforementioned Lauderdale) and I've previously pointed out that offering a JUCO defensive back might not be the worst idea, either. The Gators may have the answer for one of those upcoming needs already on the roster: Valdez Showers. Although he's now listed as a running back, Showers is more of an "offensive weapon" (to steal a term from the Jaguars, in regards to Denard Robinson) than a true member of the backfield. Perhaps next year, he makes a move to playing full-time as a receiver (while possibly still getting a few carries as well). With Burton and Patton gone after 2013, someone will need to step up in providing a presence in the passing game over the middle.

But Showers was originally recruited to play defense, and I wouldn't completely rule out the possibility that maybe he makes a return to that side of the football next year, considering where the numbers will be in the secondary if both Purifoy and Roberson elect to go pro. In any case, Showers is a versatile weapon whose value will become much more defined next year because of his ability to fill so many different roles effectively on the football field.

– The Gators have not signed a player out of the Mississippi prep ranks since Robert Gillespie in 1998. It should be noted that Will Muschamp attempted to hire Gillespie as an assistant when he first got on at Florida, but was rebuffed, as Gillespie elected to stay at West Virginia. With Mississippi State's struggles this season, now seems like as good of a time to strike as any in the Magnolia State. Florida used uncertainty surrounding Gene Chizik's future at Auburn last fall to make a run at AU pledge Jarrad Davis. Chizik was eventually fired, and Davis would go on to sign with UF (he has been an integral part of the special teams units for UF this fall). The guy I would be eyeing if I was a member of the UF staff? Greenville Weston linebacker Gerri Green. Checking in at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, Green reportedly runs in the 4.5 range. Green could play linebacker, or could grow into an athletic rush end as well. In any case, he's a long, fast, athletic defensive front-seven player, which is exactly what Florida has been in the market for over the past couple of years.

Another school's commitment list who could eventually come in the crosshairs: Tennessee. The Vols gambled and it nearly paid off big when UT brought in a bunch of commits for a weekend showdown with Georgia. Tennessee fought valiantly and lost, but their performance against the Bulldogs bought some time with recruits – especially those in attendance on Saturday. However, Butch Jones still lacks a signature win in Knoxville, and may not get it this year. The Vols could easily fall to 3-7 by the middle of November following a slate which includes Alabama, South Carolina, and an improved Mizzou and Auburn over the next four games. If the Gators find someone else committed to Tennessee worth pursuing –  as they already seem to be reeling in the former JUCO WR commit Lauderdale –  then it would come as no surprise at all to see UF make that move to pursue. DaVonte Lambert, in particular, may be someone whom the Gators decide not to give up on until the LOI paperwork is in to the school of his choice.

Tapping the breaks on the recruiting process

Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel wrote a nice column on the recruiting process, and how it continues to accelerate which each passing year. So much so that Tyreke Johnson, an eight-grader at Trinity Christian Academy, and the younger brother of First Coast star QB De'Andre Johnson (a 2015 commitment to Florida State), wonders aloud why the Seminoles haven't extended an offer yet.

Is that where we're at these days? A kid, who isn't even in high school, is complaining about the offers he hasn't received yet?

By all accounts, the younger Johnson has the makings of an excellent football player. Standing at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, he already has the projectable frame of a prospect heading into his junior year of high school. Johnson recorded 11 tackles and an interception on a 9-2 squad loaded with BCS-caliber skill talent. There's no doubt he has the makings of a major prospect a few years down the line.



This isn't the first time Hays has touched on the topic, either. He previously wrote about the Johnson family in the spring as well. Older brother De'Andre committed to Florida State in the summer of 2012 – the summer before his sophomore year of high school.

There's nothing wrong with pushing kids to succeed, and wanting them to earn a scholarship to play on the next level. Especially if they are blessed with the talent both of the Johnson brothers have displayed at a precocious age. But when is it too much. When is a parent crossing the line and putting too much focus on the future when these kids should still be enjoying childhood?

I've paid close attention to recruiting coverage for about 10 years now. It used to be that recruiting coverage would really ramp up on a senior class of prospects the summer before their senior year. There was a period of several months between National Signing Day and spring ball where the coverage was fairly sparse – limited mostly to camps, combines and such. Now, we already have rankings of the top juniors in the country.

Likewise, with each passing year, the process gets moved up more and more. 10 years ago, Texas began the trend of landing early commitments in the months immediately proceeding National Signing Day. Yes, there was a time when Mack Brown was ahead of the curve, folks. This was before he started offering guys like Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel the opportunity to play safety in Austin, of course.

40 years ago, boosters essentially helped coaches recruit players. Today, it's a big business all to itself. Recruiting services, video services and media coverage allow coaches to scout and assemble their squads from the comfort of their offices. As Nick Saban has showed, even the use of Skype allows a coach to make and keep contact with top recruits from the confines of their respective campuses.

But how do we slow down this rolling freight train? Verbal commitments are non-binding, and it's not like the NCAA can prevent them from happening. If a talented eighth-grader – say Louisiana phenom Dylan Moses, for example – wants to make trips on his own dime, what's to stop him from doing that? And if the talent is so inherently clear at that age, what's to stop colleges from extending interest and/or verbal offers to 13, 14 and 15-year old prospects? I agree with the sentiment, I'm just not sure how to stop it.

College football recruiting has always been a dirty business, although not as much so as college basketball recruiting has become in recent years. But with the introduction and growing popularity of 7-on-7 tournaments (football's equivalent of the AAU circuit), elite prospect camps like "The Opening" (Nike's answer on the football side to the shoe company summer basketball camps that became popularized in the late 1990's) and now the pursuit of prospects at the middle school level (which has happened in college basketball for years now), it's hard not to see that football is on the same path as basketball, if it isn't there outright already.

So, how do we fix football recruiting? To be honest, I'm not really sure. The debate brings up more questions than answers. Honestly, it seems like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube at this point. But I hope that isn't the case. I really hope.